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open from the back, I presume ? —ln some cases it was very nearly straight. There was just room to get upright quartering. 2790. How was the batter filled in at the back ? —lt was simply tipped in. 2791. What was tipped in?— Clay from the bank at the back. 2792. Were there any extra precautions made for carrying away any water which would accumulate in there by reason of its being made earth ? —None other than weep-holes. 2793. There are weep-holes in every cell ? —Yes, but no water ever came from them. 2794. How soon should you think after the foundations were iinished were the concrete floors in the ambulatory laid ?—They were not laid till the very last thing. The stone steps were not put in till the last thing—till within four or five months of finishing the job. 2795. You went away after these concrete floors was laid. Were there any signs of " crumpling up ?"—Yes. 2796. Can you show on the plan, to the best of your recollection, where that was ? —I fancy that the direction was somewhere about one of these piers [indicating on plan]. 2797. Somewhat opposite to where you have indicated that the cracks were first seen ? —lt was more towards the north end. I think there is some correspondence about it. 2798. You have already told us what kind of bond was put in, and of course you know how the toothing of an English bond has to be done ? —The only portion of that which is plumb is set out in English bond. 2799. Do you consider that an English bond is the best'? —l most decidedly consider that it is the best. According to all standard works it is reckoned so. So far as this 3-to-l bond is concerned, all things being equal, and it being made of whole bricks, as usual, I consider it is not quite as good as English, but it is better than Flemish bond. 2800. In doing the brickwork were the bricks used dry ?—Yes. 2801. They were not wet? —No; but I have known them to come out of the kiln pretty warm and go into the building. 2802. Do you think, without using water plentifully on the bricks, that you can make first-class work with them?—My experience here is, that being a wet climate, you do not require so much water, if you have got good mortar ; but if it is a hot climate I should say that the bricks should be made wet. There was nothing in specification to enforce the wetting of the bricks. 2803. But youJmow that all the works were to be done in a first-class manner ? —lt was the same with the rakrng-out of the joints. There was nothing I know of by which I could enforce that. 2804. Mr. Gore.] Eaking-out of the joints is in the specification?— Yes. 2805. Mr. Mountfort.] Had you any trouble with the bricklayers? —I should speak of them as second-rate workmen all round. For this reason : Three men were working at opposite angles, and when they joined up they were a " course in winding." If that is the work of a first-class workman, then I do not know what a first-class workman is. 2806. In taking the cross-section through the ambulatory portion, seeing that there were three separate walls, one of which was carried upon rather small piers, was any provision made for tying that portion of the building with rods or otherwise ?—There was no provision. We put joists in one length from one side to the other. There is nothing in the specification to say what we were to do it with. 2807. Did you not think, in carrying out the works, that they required something to tie that special part, seeing that the front had a great many openings ?—Well, it struck me that it was a very long wall, and I suggested that some of the openings should be built up. 2808. Here are three parallel walls—at any rate, for these two walls; for about 80ft. there is no tie whatever ? —Which wall ? 2809. I mean between these two [indicating on plan] ?—There is no tie there. 2810. What distance apart are the floor-joists ? —lßin. centres. 2811. Is that your usual distance ?—lt is the usual distance of all specifications here and the specified distance. 2812. What is the sizes of the joists throughout ?—That is a question that you should ask Mr. Lawson; he is the architect. They were put in the sizes specified. 2813. But I ask you, as the Inspector of the works ? —There is an enlarged drawing that will show it better. 2814. What did the flooring-joists rest on? —On wooden plates. 2815. How were they carried up ? Did you take them outside of the ambulatory-wall ?—They just rested on the brickwork; built in. 2816. That wall is 18in. from top to bottom, is it not ? —Yes. 2817. Then as to these plates : You took so much out of the thickness of the wall all long in two storeys?— Yes. 2818. Does this [plan produced] fairly represent it, with the flooring-joists resting on them ?—■ Yes. They would go into walls about 6in. 2819. Do you recollect the size of the plates ?—I think the size specified was 4by 3. 2820. And the joists, you say, ran in about Gin. ?—Yes. The joists were 9 by 2. 2821. We will refer now to the centre of the building. Portion of this lower part [indicating on plan] was to have been done in concrete, but was afterwards built in brick?— The bases were. 2822. Was that part built with cement-mortar?—A portion of it was, and a portion with brick and lime-mortar. The foundations [indicating on plan] were carried out with a 6in. offset on each side ; and above that there was a series of air-holes, and such things as fireplaces and other openings. It was arranged with Mr. Gore that that portion of it—so many courses, I think it was six or seven—should be built with brick and cement, and the other portion brick and lime-mortar; that was to make his price equal to concrete. 2823. We have it in evidence that it was carried up to the window-sills in cement and mortar ?